For a number of years, fishing boats have been equipped with so called "trolling motors" which are small electrically powered motors used by the angler to maneuver a boat from one location to another while fishing. Such motors are usually auxiliary to the main combustion engine used on fishing boats and are used for slow, quiet movement of the boat. Such motors are sometimes mounted by a clamp arrangement to the transom of a boat, but more commonly these trolling motors are attached to the bow of a boat for operation by the front occupant of the boat. In either case, the mounting bracket enables the motor unit and the shaft upon which the motor unit is mounted to be removed from the water to a stowed position when the boat is being powered by the combustion engine.
Some of these trolling motors are steered by a handle which is used to pivot the motor about a vertical axis on its mounting and may also include a speed control switch and an on/off switch for the motor. Simply by moving the handle, the direction of the motor in the water is changed so as to direct the thrust in the desired direction for steering the boat.
However, most such trolling motors are of the socalled foot control type. In this latter type of trolling motor, the steering function is removed to a remote location and a handle is no longer used for the steering. Instead, a remote foot control unit is provided, and is usually connected to the motor mounting shaft and motor unit by cables. Electric cables connect the switches mounted in the foot control to the motor unit for on/off and speed control, and push/pull cables connect the foot control through a rack and pinion gear train to the shaft and motor unit for accomplishing the steering of the motor by again pivoting the motor about the vertical axis. Usually this vertical axis is passes through the mounting shaft.
Generally, the remote end of the steering cable is connected to a foot pedal which is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, so that moving the pedal in one direction will cause the motor to turn to, e.g., the left, and moving the pedal in the other direction will cause the motor to pivot to the other direction.
The trolling motor unit and the shaft upon which the motor itself is mounted are usually attached to the boat by means of a bracket arrangement which is bolted to a deck surface of the boat for a rigid connection of the motor to the boat. However, in the past the foot control unit is simply allowed to rest on the floor of the front deck of the boat. In this manner, the foot control unit may be moved around on the front fishing platform to suit the user. Since often the fisherman may fish off of one side of the boat for a while, and then change to fish off of the other side of the boat, it is convenient to be able to move the foot control unit around on the fishing platform easily to accommodate the user's needs at any particular moment.
However, this flexibility of movement of the foot control is accompanied by a significant disadvantage. Since the foot control unit simply rests on the floor of the boat, it is not secured in place. Thus, when the boat is moved at high speeds and/or in rough water, the foot control unit is free to bounce around in the front of the boat, and it is restrained only by the cables which connect it to the motor unit. But, these cables simply will keep the control pedal from bouncing out of the boat and being lost, and will not keep the unit in place.
This problem of the foot control unit bouncing around will often result in damage to the foot control unit, possible breakage of the control cables and damages to the boat itself.
To prevent the possibility of such damage, occasionally the angler will secure the foot control unit to the floor of the boat by screws or the like, but in so doing, the flexibility in the use of the control unit discussed above is lost, and the the user must adjust himself to fit the control, rather that adjusting the control to fit his needs.
The problems of flexibility and possible damage are even more acute in the case of competitive fishing events. In such events, the flexibility of the use of the trolling motor can significantly alleviate fatigue of the user. Further, the loss of use of the trolling motor as by damage can result in loss of use of the boat for the day and possible loss of money in the competitive event.
For these reasons, there is a significant need for a mounting arrangement for the foot control units of trolling motors which will enable flexibility in use while at the same time providing a secure means for preventing the control unit from bouncing around in the boat.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a mount for a trolling motor foot control unit which enables flexibility in use while simultaneously enabling the control unit to be securely attached within the boat.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mount for a trolling motor foot control unit which may be easily adjusted by the user to position the unit for maximum comfort.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mount for a trolling motor foot control unit which permits the control to be adjusted along a path for comfort.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a mount for a trolling motor foot control unit which is relatively inexpensive.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide such a mount which can be easily adapted to any type of trolling motor and boat.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a foot control mount which may be attached to the boat either without drilling holes or by minimum hole drilling in the floor of the boat.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent when considered in light of the following description and claims when taken together with the accompanying drawings.